The Home Office and Ministry of Justice have announced a Professional Enablers Taskforce to bring together regulatory bodies, law enforcement teams and government departments to increase enforcement action against lawyers who help migrants exploit the immigration system.
Commenting, Nick Vineall KC, Chair of the Bar Council, said:
“The role of lawyers is to advise and represent their clients whilst observing the ethical and conduct rules which apply to them.
“If and when lawyers breach those ethical and conduct rules it is right and necessary that they are identified and sanctioned appropriately.
“It is right that the government recognises that the vast majority of lawyers act with professionalism and integrity. It is essential that the public can have confidence in the legal professions.
“The Taskforce must not fall into the trap of identifying lawyers with the causes of their clients, nor should it assume that misbehaviour by clients amounts to misbehaviour by lawyers.”